Catharsis
Catharsis is a veteran 4channer and member of /pol/ Parliament. She is now an Independent MP, and is a key author of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and a previous member of the Libertarian Party and later Survive. She has, on occasion, joined other parties on a whim or to help out (notably NatSoc and SPQR). Catharsis can be described as a non-interventionist, left-leaning, libertarian-leaning centrist with nationalist and futurist inclinations. 'About' Catharsis is a friendly, if reserved, Member of Parliament. She is well known for being an efficient Speaker, having no life, and for occasionally dumping vast quantities of images for no readily apparent reason. Catharsis is also a veteran 4channer and has been visiting on and off since 2006. Catharsis claims to be disinterested in party politics, and maintains that she is "comfortable" as an Independent. Though that might have more to do with how much time she sacrifices to /pol/ Parliament and her apparent unwillingness to be saddled with party leadership than with comfort. She will occasionally, however, join down-on-their-luck and unrecognized parties, or donate vast quantities of potential propaganda. She is renowned for her integrity, her organizational capabilities, and her apparent willingness to do a lot of the tedious record-keeping that keeps Parliament going. Catharsis is a key author of policy and the Constitution, and has been known to write bill proposals for many reaso ns, including in order to cheer up morose MPs. She has shown herself to be a kind and genuine friend, and a fierce ally. Catharsis has reportedly said that she "prefers to remain in the background" and is clearly discomforted taking compliments or receiving praise. Like many 4channers she has a penchant for mischief, crass jokes, and sheer contrarianism, and has been known to do something just because the whim struck her. Catharsis is an Aquarius; her favorite color is purple; and her favorite band is HURT (though Hozier has recently become a close second). 'History' Catharsis first joined /pol/ Parliament on May 26, 2015 as Flake, a Libertarian using the tripcode !!8jBPErnxP1I. She remained a minor member of the Libertarian Party until she was abruptly appointed as Party Whip by average burger, !!J9DP9yXhYoO, late the next day on May 27, 2015. Catharsis then took the name she is now known for and adopted the tripcode !!acVMK/7m6iK on May 28, 2015. Catharsis' first significant act as a Member of /pol/ Parliament was standing against the newly minted tyrant, Ignatius, !EDpC/DqZbo, on May 28, 2015. Alongside fellow Libertarian, John Locke, !hEpdoZ.tHU, she spear headed the effort to impeach him; calling for the Impeachment Vote when no one else would, quoting relevant lines of the Constitution, and exposing Ignatius for the quailing little child that he was. She also voted for Locke's initiatives to end strawpoll.me voting in /po l/ Parliament, and to ratify the new, if flawed, Constitution so that the Impeachment would be legal. Catharsis once again took a leading role in /pol/ Parliament in the wake of Ignatius' disastrous reign and set up, organized, hosted, and chaired the following Constitutional Convention. She ensured that, while the Convention was not open to everyone, it was wholly transparent by posting transcripts and having Ivstinianvs, !stg4tqyBXE, of SPQR stream the event. On June 5, 2015 she became one of two Speakers of the House, and had taken on the additional duties of keeping track of the full roster of /pol/ Parliament's MPs and the OP graphic. However, Catharsis' unwillingness to take the necessary steps to delegate, and her eventual, if completely expected, Burn Out contributed to the eventual failure of the Constitutional Convention and collapse of /pol/ Parliament. On June 9, 2015 the death knell for this incarnation of /pol/ Parliament rung; Catharsis presided over a Legislative Session that, through many contributing factors, turned into a gigantic clusterfuck of spitting-rage, confusion, and lulz for many Members of Parliament. Early the next day, June 10, 2015, at the behest of concerned and vocal MPs, the Convention met once again to discuss What Happened Next. The Convention decided to once again put a halt to government until the Constitution could be finished, which it planned to do three days later. Catharsis, while firmly against another government shutdown, was drowned out and out voted. On June 13, 2015 the Constitutional Convention experienced both its lowest turn out yet, and most arduous opposition from non-delegates. The drama reached a climax when, during the Convention, Grand Admiral Trayvon, !!5Kkz0CSD3pw, of the Galactic Empire got into an argument with an impassioned Illusive Man, !!5Oad5RQQgcg, of Cerberus which split the massive, stabilizing coalition that had been organized by the Convention members present. Catharsis, like many before her relinquished her !!acVMK/7m6iK tripcode, ##blood+covenant, by publishing it in the Parliament thread and giving up on the game. The almost-ides-of-June did have its positives, though; it saw the founding of Dhoom on nationstates.net. Parliament wasn't done yet, though. 'Politics' Catharsis is self-described as a left-leaning, libertarian-leaning centrist. She believes that the answer to a better, brighter tomorrow is found somewhere between ideological extremes; essentially idealism tempered with realism applied with a creative twist and a dash of innovation. Catharsis is... In FAVOR of Personal Freedom: People should be allowed to make their own mistakes, and face the consequences of their choices. Taking responsibility for oneself is an important aspect of maturity, and if someone wants to face the consequences, good and bad, of marrying someone of their own gender; doing drugs; aborting a baby; mutilating themselves; or killing themselves -- more power to them. In FAVOR of Smart Capitalism: As a fellow MP once said: the government should walk lightly and carry a big stick. It is the Government's Duty to protect the consumer from He Who Would Take Advantage; the environment from Cutting Corners Co.; the market from the Oligarchy Monopoly; and promote competition by promoting small business. In FAVOR of Nationalism: The defense of oneself and those that one considers theirs, their family, friends, community, is estimable. A Nation is not necessarily a State, for a Nation can be a People, and loyalty to, and the defense of, one's People is as natural as breathing. It is also natural, and expected, for a State for the People, by the People, to put its own interests above those of other States. In FAVOR of Science, Research, and Higher Education: To better ourselves, as a People, as a Civilization, we must invest in Science, in Empirical Research, and in higher standards of Education. We must push our people to become the best versions of themselves, and offer avenues, such as apprenticeships in the trades, for those who do not excel in a more objective academia. In FAVOR of Protecting the Environment: We have one planet, and one planet only; we shouldn't destroy its natural beauty, its splendor, in a mad rush of resources that we may not be able to replace. We have no means, technologically speaking, just yet to secure a means to find another home world for Humanity; we must look to the sustainable future, and preserve the wilderness, if not for its own sake, so that our descents may experience it as we do. In FAVOR of a Free and Anonymous Web: The Internet simply wouldn't be the Internet if we a) put our identities everywhere, which is sadly becoming more and more commonplace, and b) and couldn't surf it freely, which most corporate schemes revel in, and c) couldn't maintain the Age of Information, which is constantly threatened by Misinformation Shills, and d) couldn't build businesses and websites out of virtually no where, which is again threatened by corporate control freaks. In FAVOR of a Free 4chan: 4chan, like any collection of unique cultures, should be free to develop on its own terms. While Moderators will, and should, intervene at times, to protect 4chan's continued legal existence, they should not be omnipresent dictators. If 4chan's culture is to remain in tact, under the hordes of visitors, tourists, and immigrants from elsewhere in the web, it must stress assimilation and hold fast to its cultural identity, even as that identity shifts and evolves with the times. OPPOSED to Politically Correctness: It is not enough to say that Political Correctness violates the Freedom of Speech, which should be held sacrosanct, or that it violates deeply held principles, which it does; Political Correctness is even more insidiously vile than that. It undermines the Conversation and leaves gaping holes through which the Machiavellis of the world can dance; it stifles normal, natural human interaction; it fosters resentment each time that interaction is shut down or vilified; it teaches people that what they have to say and think is inherently wrong and that they shouldn't say or think anything save what they're told to say and think; it teaches people that feelings matter more than logical, reasonable discourse. It is the scourge of humanity and must be eradicated. OPPOSED to Mass Immigration: Many of us grew up hearing some incarnation of, "moderation in all things." All things just so happens to include immigration: while controlled, legal immigration is, in and of itself, great; mass immigration is not. By its very nature, mass immigration is chaotic, stresses the host nation's infrastructure, and threatens the native way of life/culture. Nevermind that immigrants, when they find pockets of their own people, do not integrate, do not learn the language, and can easily become the rule of law in a foreign land. But hey, anything for a cheap vote, right fam? 'On Specific Issues:' Abortion, '''Catharsis is PRO-CHOICE for two simple reasons: 1) women would continue to abort their babies with or without government support; government support would ensure that they survived, 2) natural selection; human life is not inherently precious, and the type of people who abort their babies are generally those who we do not want contributing to the gene pool. '''Affirmative Action, Catharsis is OPPOSED to Affirmative Action for five reasons: 1) giving hand-outs discourages people from testing themselves against the competition, 2) discourages certain "minorities" from "truly" bettering themselves, 3) disadvantages qualified "non-minorities" based on nothing more than the color of their skin and what can be found between their legs, 4) racial and gender quotas go against the tenants of "equality" by implying that certain "minorities" are less capable; if they're capable let them prove it by being competitive, 5) hurts the companies and schools that are forced to abide by it, by forcing them to choose less qualified "disadvantaged" candidates. Drugs, Catharsis is in FAVOR of decriminalizing drugs provided that: it is prohibited to deal/sell to minors; that companies may hire, promote, fire, lay off, or suspend proven drug users at their own digression and with impunity; that individuals are allowed to start businesses in the industry without harassment and are allowed to grow their own materials for personal and/or commercial use; that the government places strict regulations on what the active, chemical agents are "cut" with, and puts a cap on the percentage of those active, chemical agents are allowed to be in the final product. Beyond that it harkens back to personal responsibility, and whether or not safety nets, in this case access to affordable rehabilitation centers, are favored. Gay Marriage, Catharsis is technically in FAVOR of gay marriage. However, she sincerely believes that the government should GET THE FUCK OUT of marriage; let it be a ceremonial, or religious affair and let the specific ceremony or religion set the rules on who can and cannot get married. If a tax break for hitched-folk is strictly necessary then the government should treat all marriages like civil unions -- don't even call them marriages; call them civil unions -- which should between consenting adults of sound mind. Which would would, yes, technically mean people could marry multiple people or their cousins; but muh freedoms. Middle East, Catharsis is OPPOSED to further intervention in the Middle East; a systematic policy for regime change has caused nothing but trouble, and has lead a mass exodus of economic refugees into Europe. It's time the Middle East, and rest of the world, for that matter, was allowed to grow up without rancid McDick's breath down the back of their necks. If we absolutely must continue to intervene we should change tracks, quickly; support Assad to stabilize Syria and strip ISIS of as much of its land as possible. Continue to capture territory from ISIS to undermind and eventually take out the caliphate. Then stabilize countries ravaged by America, either by establishing a strong, but not strong enough, puppet government, or a colony. Then get the fuck out and refocus our attention at home, or in SEA. Military, Catharsis is in FAVOR of a strong and efficient military. When a state has made as many enemies as ours has, it needs to be able to defend itself. However, the excess of $600,000,000,000/year the military is costing Americans is squandered; politics have interfered with the operation of the military and allowed MUH FEELINGS to take precedence over the effectiveness of military operations and national security. Women in the military need to be handled differently; gender segregated training and field duty playing to the strengths of each gender might be an option (and it wouldn't endanger men who are genetically programmed to sabotage a mission or throw themselves in harms way to protect a woman). The budget shouldn't be squandered on poorly negotiated defense contracts, and every day supplies three-to-five times more expensive than necessary. Money in Politics, Catharsis is OPPOSED to legalized bribery; SuperPACS and Labor Union "donations" need to go. This country was founded on the principle of "For the People, by the People" and the People's voices are being drowned out by the millions of dollars powerful corporate lobbyists and labor union bosses are willing to throw around to get their way. Neither multi-national corporations or labor unions are People, made up of People, yes, but in and of themselves? No. They shouldn't be allowed to make political donations. For fucks sake, we have crowdfunding and social media now; there's no needs for a campaign to cost millions and millions of dollars. Pathway to Citizenship, Catharsis is in FAVOR of a simple Pathway to Citizenship for illegal immigrants who are a) willing to work and contribute to society, b) have paid taxes, c) have committed no violent crime, and d) speak the language. All of which is contingent on border security and updates to the immigration and visa systems. Face it, we aren't going to get them all with methods open to American authorities, and it wouldn't be the most practical, efficient option if they were. Welfare and Entitlements, Catharsis is in FAVOR of a small, smart, and temporary safety net. A safety net is there to catch you if you fall, what is isn't there for is to prop your lazy ass up for the rest of your life. Long term benefits should go only to three grou ps: 1) the elderly, 2) the legitimately disabled; no, fat people don't count, 3) combat veterans. Women's Issues, Catharsis is OPPOSED to the continued "fight" for women's rights. Feminism has gone from the just, noble movement of downtrodden women to the day care playground where spoiled, entitled children squabble for standing and power by hording the most cookies. Sure, Women's Issues are important... when they're not thinly veiled powergrabs. Equality of Opportunity is more powerful than Equality of Outcome; at least women have a choice in one, and aren't as likely to push men out of their own "safe places". The Pay Gap is the most prevalent, sensationalist M - Y - T - H of our time; women make choices, just like everyone else, and have to face the consequences of those choices (friendly reminder that women who forgo a family out earn men). Gender quotas, and campaigns that spout shit like It's-Not-My-Fault-I'm-A-Drunken-Whore do nothing but undermine a woman's ability to take responsibility for her actions, and face the world like an adult rather than a sniveling brat who needs a kindergarten safe place, complete with puppies. For fucks sake, allow modern, western women to have a goddamned sense of agency! 'Voting Record' *Voted FOR the''' IllusiveMan Cerberus & Ignatius Libertarian' ticket on May 26, 2015. *Voted FOR of '''Stop Party Propaganda Spam' on May 27, 2015. *Voted AGAINST changing the House of Patricians/Plebeians to the House of Lords/Commons on May 27, 2015. *Voted FOR of trying easypolls.net on May 27, 2015. *Voted AGAINST banning/disbanding all parties whose rules/policy/ideology weren't wholly Libertarian on May 28, 2015. *Voted FOR the Impeachment of Ignatius on May 28, 2015 *Voted FOR Abolishing the Use of strawpoll.me on May 28, 2015 *Voted FOR ratifying the Constitution on May 28, 2015 *Voted FOR the Loki Act on June 5, 2015. *ABSTAINED from Voting on the Ben Garrison Commendation on June 5, 2015. *Voted FOR the Clusterfuck Prevention Act on June 5, 2015. *Voted FOR Bantz Remembrance Day 'on June 5, 2015. *ABSTAINED from Voting on '''The Palestine for Palestinians Bill ''on June 7, 2015. *Voted AGAINST the Gold Standard Bill on June 7, 2015. *Voted FOR the /pol/ Militia on September 14, 2015 *ABSTAINED from Voting on amending the Militia Bill September 14, 2015. *Voted AGAINST the Loki Act in a Tie-Breaker on September 16, 2015 *Voted AGAINST''' Preventing African Influence Initiative''' September 17, 2015. *Voted AGAINST the Party Name Correction Bill September 17, 2015. *Voted AGAINST the Protection of Memes and Meme Use Act September 17, 2015. *Voted FOR the That Guy Act September 17, 2015 *Voted FOR Engels Ankles Front !!u1jIP4z7+3D as President *Voted FOR Bulletkin Libertarian !!YM/9rQFmSVu as Speaker 'Trivia' * "Flake" was a reference to a general unwillingness to commit. * /pol/ Parliament is not the first time Catharsis used "Catharsis" as a handle; it was once used as a character name on a World of Warcraft private server. * Was first coined "Cat" by Illusive Man. * Has a cat named "LZ" which is apparently short for "Lazy Kitty" but the absence of a "K" suggests it's simply short for "Lazy". * Was nicknamed "CathARSEis" by Overlord Romanicus in revenge for "Austisticus". * Has a penchant for amateur photography. * Once spoke to her fellow Members of Parliament through vocaroo. * Owns a deck of Tarot cards.